Arch cradle unit structure



` Aug. 1, 1961 N. HACK 2,994,326

ARCH CRADLE UNIT STRUCTURE Filed June 27, 1960 INV EN TOR. NATHAN HACKATTORNEYS 2,994,326 ARCH CRADLE UNIT STRUCTURE Nathan Hack, 537 SanVicente Blvd., Santa Monica, Calif., assignmof one-third to Morton Hackand of one-third to Leonard Hack, both of Detroit, Mich.

Filed .lune 27, 1960, Ser. No. 38,929 8 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 611) Thisinvention relates to an arch cradle unit structure and more particularlyto such a structure as can be readily embodied into either a completedshoe or into a shoe in process of being fabricated.

rIhe invention heredisclosed is related to the disclosure in Hack U.S.application No. 855,827 flled November 27, 1959 and issued as U.S.Patent No. 2,963,800.

The invention involves an arch cradle strip of resilient, cushioning,supportive material disposed transversely of the shoe, and in a secondform both transversely and longitudinally of 4the shoe, above the insolewithin the area of the longitudinal inner and outer arches of the footand rearward of the transverse arch, i.e. in the area of the heel breastline. The arch cradle strip is arranged with a central arch cradlebridging portion in the open area of the shoe and receiving the footarch, and two side extensions or lianges at Ithe ends of the strip whichare secured to a quarter liner, forming a complete arch cradle unitstructure. The unit can then be placed in any shoe, be it completed orin process of fabrication. The quarter liner is stitched in place alongand adjacent 'the top edge of the upper structure, adhered to the Sideand rear walls of the upper structure and to the insole. The unit iscompletely independent of the shoe prior to insertion and attachment andcan be afixed by any competent shoe repairman.

It is an object of the invention to provide an arch cradle unitstructure which can be attached to a shoe. Another object is theprovision of a structure that is Iindependent of a shoe, whethercompleted or in process of fabrication. A further object is to provide astructure that is easily and simply aixed to a shoe.

These and additional objects of the invention and features ofconstruction will become more readily apparent from the disclosure anddescription given below, in which the terms employed are used forpurposes of description and not of limitation. Reference is made to thedrawing annexed hereto forming an integral part of this speciiication,and in which FIG. l is a perspective view of a basic embodiment of theinventive arch cradle unit structure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shoe containing the structure of FIG.l.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view takensubstantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modiiication of the unit structureshown in FIG. l.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view, similar toFIG. 3, showing the unit structure of FIG. 4 applied in a shoe.

FIG. 6 is la perspective view of the rear portion of a sandal having anupper unit structure embodying the invention.

FIG. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the arch cradlestrip shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in the several views of the drawing, and particularly in FIGS.l, 2 and 3, the arch cradle unit structure 10 comprises an arch cradlestrip 12 and a shoe quarter liner 14. The strip 12 is fabricated from anelastic band having rubber or plastic threads interwoven with textile orfabric threads, such as goring. A soft resilient leather or leatherlikematerial may used. Synthetic yarns and woven materials or non-Wovenmaterials may also be used, i-f such materials furnish the desir-able m.

silient cushioning and supportive characteristics heredescribed. Anoperative material is a closely woven cotton fabric elastic band havingrubber iibers or threads interwoven in the fabric of the band. Thequarter liner is preferably fabricated of a tine leather, leatherlike,or closely woven fabric material, suitable for attachment to a shoe bysewing and adhesives.

The arch cradle strip 12 has i-ts ends 16, 16 passed through slots 18,18 in the quarter lining at each side thereof, the ends being turneddown and secured by stitching 20 to the quarter lining 14 on the outerside thereof. In certain cases, the arch cradle ends or flanges 16, 16are attached to the inside surface of the quarter liner, without thenecessity of slotting the latter, by stitching 20. The unit structure 10is completed with the assembly of the arch cradle strip l2 to thequarter lining.

As the unit structure, tit can now be assembled to a completed shoe orone in the process of fabrication, the quarter lining in the latterinstance supplying the quarter lining of the shoe and in the yformerinstance doubling the quarter lining in a shoe. To aiiix the structurei0, in either case, the outer surface of the lining or the inside wallsof the shoe are coated with an adhesive and the unit structure adheredto the shoe upper structure. This is shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and3.

The shoe 24 is provided with an upper structure 26, a shoe insole 28, ashoe base 30, and an outsole 32 and heel 34. When inserted into the shoeStructure, the quarter lining 14 is adhered to the side and heel wallsof the upper structure 26 by an adhesive and stitched thereto along thetop edge by stitching 36, securing the unit structure y10 iirmly in theshoe 24. The arch cradle strip 12 has its bridging portion 3S disposedsubstantially in the area of the heel breast line, i.e. within the areaof the longitudinal inner and outer arches of the foot and rearward ofthe transverse arch.

A -modiiication of the unit structure 10 involves the addition of arearwardly directed and conjoined heel support strip; In FIGS. 4 and 5is illustrated an arch cradle unit structure 40 having a quarter lining42 conjoined to and supporting an arch cradle strip 44 comprising atransverse bridging portion 46 provided with depending side anges 48, 48at either end thereof, and a rearwardly directed, longitudinally centralheel strip 50 having a depending end ilange 52. All of the side and endflanges 48, 48 and S2 are tixedly secured to the quarter lining 42 bystitching 20. The heel strip `50 is conjoined to the arch cradle bridge46 by stitching or in any other suitable manner. The transverse archcradle end flanges 48, 48 are passed through slots 54, 54 in the quarterlining 42 and secured on the outside of the lining, or alternativelysecured on the inside of the lining, avoiding the need for slots.

When installed in a shoe, -as shown in FIG. 5, the quarter lining isadhered to the shoe upper structure 26 and stitched along its top edgeby stitching 36, securing the unit structure 40 firmly in the shoe.

A construction similar to that described above and shown in FIGS. 6 and7 involves the arch cradle unit structure for a sandal. The quarterstrap unit 60 cornprises the outer quarter strap wall 62, the quarterstrap lining 64, the transverse arch cradle strip 66 having its outerends 68, 68 stitched to the lining 64 in depending relation to the strip66 and below the plane thereof. The wall 62 and lining 64 are thenstitched together at all edges into .the unit 60, ready for assemblywith the sandal base structure 70 according to conventional practice.

It will be understood by persons skilled in the art to which theinvention pertains that the unit structures 10, 40 land 60 hereindescribed and illustrated are applicable for use in either mens, womensor childrens shoes.

The transverse arch cradle portions 38, 46 or 66' are elevated `abovethe plane of the shoe insole a distance suicient to provide a cradle forthe foot when the foot is in the shoe. The downwardly directed andsecured end flanges serve as piers for the bridging (arch cradle)therebetween. In the T-stem structure 40, the rearwardly directed heelstrip Si) lies substantially in the plane of the transverse arch cradlebridge 46'. rI'he elasticity of the heel strip may be the same as in thetransverse bridge, or it may be more or less elastic in nature dependingupon the particular function which it is required to serve. In somecases, the heel strip may be slightly relaxed in order to provide alower seating of the heel in the shoe and in ambulation.

The arch cradle strips above described and the quarter lining may alsobe fabricated of suitable and functionally acceptable plastics or rubbercompositions, which can be assembled together by heat sealing orvulcanization. Such materials also lend themselves to die cutting andinexpensive fabricating processes. With such materials the T-stern archcradle i4 can be fashioned from a single piece of material.

The advantages of the unit structures hereabove described include theirapplication in shoe repair shops of arch cradle units in shoes that areeither already in use or completed and ready for purchase. The unitstructures can and should be sized for mens, womens and childrens shoes.They are also applicable for use in heavy boots or other footwearconstructed without quarter linings, the unit structures heredescribedsupplying this feature of construction.

The arch cradle unit structures heredescribed provide additional orrequired support for the longitudinal `arches of the foot. Wheninstalled in shoes, the arch cradle bridging portions provide resilient,cushioning supportive assistance to these arches. The bridging portions,and the T-stem when used, adapt themselves to every contour of the footarch and heel without requiring any special design. The arch cradlebridges provide side elements, when the foot is in the shoe, `above theplane of the foot arches that tend to oppose rotation of the foot, thusachieving a balancing corrective effect for persons having thistendency. The arch cradle bridging embodies a featherweight footbalancing feature that stabilizes the foot in the shoe without crowdingthe foot. Another advantage of the structure is to elevate the archrearward of the metatarsal heads so that pivoting of the foot inambulation is improved.

Having described the invention in its simplest terms, it is to beunderstood that the features of construction may be changed and variedin greater or lesser degree without departing from the essence of theinvention dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an arch cradle unit structure for attachment to the upperstructure of a shoe, a quarter lining for said shoe, an arch cradlestrip having an larch cradle portion disposed in bridging arrangement`between the walls of said lining, said strip having terminal flangesextending downwardly of the plane of said bridging portion and securedto said walls, whereby when said structure is attached and secured tosaid upper structure said arch cradle portion is disposed in ahorizontal and substantially parallel plane labove the insole of saidshoe in the area of the heel breast line, said arch cradle portionproviding a bridge between sides of said upper structure.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and in which said terminal angesextend through openings in said walls to the outside of said lining.

3. In an arch cradle unit structure adapted to be attached to the upperstructure of a shoe, a quarter lining for said shoe, an arch cradlestrip hav-ing an arch cradle portion disposed as a bridge between theside walls of said lining, said strip having terminal ends extendingdownwardly of the plane of said arch cradle portion and secured to saidwalls, whereby when said structure is attached and secured to said upperstructure said arch cradle portion is disposed in a horizontal andsubstantially parallel plane above the insole of said shoe in the areaof the heel breast line, said arch cradle portion providing a bridgebetween sides of said upper structure.

4. The structure dened in claim 3, and in which said terminal endsextend through openings in said side walls to the outside of saidlining.

5. In an arch cradle unit structure adapted to` be attached to the upperstructure of a shoe, a quarter lining for said shoe, an arch cradlestrip having an arch cradle portion disposed transversely as a bridgebetween the side walls of said lining and a heel portion conjoined tosaid arch cradle portion disposed longitudinally and rearwardly andbetween said arch cradle portion and the heel wall of said lining, saidstrip having terminal ends extending downwardly of the plane of saidarch cradle and heel portions and secured to said walls, whereby whensaid structure is attached and secured to said upper structure said archcradle and heel portions are disposed in a substantially horizontal andparallel plane above the insole of said shoe in the area of the heelbreast line, said arch cradle and heel portions providing bridgingbetween the sides and rear of said upper structure.

6. The structure dened in claim 5, and in which said terminal endsextend through openings in said side and heel walls to the outside ofsaid lining.

7. In an arch cradle quarter strap unit structure for a sandal adaptedto be combined with and secured to a sandal, a quarter strap lining, anarch cradle strip having an arch cradle portion disposed as a bridgebetween the side walls of said lining, said stnip having terminal endsextending downwardly of the plane of said arch cradle portion andsecured to said walls, said quarter strap lining being secured andattached Ito the upper structure for said sandal, whereby when said archcradle quarter strap unit structure is attached Ito said sandal saidarch cradle portion is disposed in a substantially horizontal andparallel plane above the insole of said sandal in the area of thelongitudinal inner and outer arches and rearward of the transverse arch,said arch cradle portion providing a bridge between the sides of saidquarter strap unit structure.

8. The structure defined in claim 7, and in which said terminal endsextend through openings in said side walls to the outside of saidlining.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,677,226 Banks `Iuly 17, 1928 2,188,182 Gould Jan. 23, 1940 2,389,148Grebow Nov. 20, 1945 2,831,272 Sloat Apr. 22, 1958

